Eminent economists : their life philosophies / edited by Michael Szenberg.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The passion for research Mauric Allais -- 'I Know a Hawk from a Handsaw' Kenneth J. Arrow -- On my attitudes: sociopolitical and methodological William J. Baumol -- Recollections and reflections of a comparativist Abram Bergson -- From chemistry to economics and beyond Kenneth E. Boulding -- My quest for economic knowledge Karl Brunner -- From the inside looking out James M. Buchanan -- Random walk and life philosophy Gerard Debreu -- How I tried to become an economist Evsey D. Domar Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen about himself Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen --
Autobiographical notes with reflections Frank Hahn -- My working philosophy Charles P. Kindleberger -- My professional life philosophy L. R. Klein
Social science, ethics, and the role of the public sector Richard A. Musgrave -- My apprenticeship as an economist Austin Robinson -- Reflections on political economy: past, present, and future W. W. Rostow -- My life philosophy: policy credos and working ways Paul A. Samuelson -- My search for welfare Tibor Scitovsky -- Living in interdisciplinary space Herbert A. Simon -- Notes on copying Robert M. Solow -- Solving the most urgent problems first Jan Tinbergen -- Scientific humanism as an ideal Shigeto Tsuru.

An intimate view of the dominant economists of this century, scholars whose work changed the direction of the discipline, is presented in this volume. The contributors who come from quite divergent points of the ideological compass present their life philosophies and reflect on their conceptions of human nature, society, justice and the source of the creative impulse. The self-portraits reveal details of the economists' personal and professional lives that capture the significance of the total person. Moreover, they illuminate the product of their labor, and as such, they change one's notions of what an economist can do or be. An introduction by Michael Szenberg, editor-in-chief of The American Economist, makes career and philosophic pattern comparisons.